The present invention relates to a system and method for identifying roaming specific cost saving usage patterns and, more particularly, but not exclusively to using such usage patterns to identify roaming network users whose potential is not being fulfilled.
In the cellular market there are systems for monitoring mobile roaming traffic. The systems may be located in the home network or the roaming network, and monitor the international links between the networks. When a mobile roamer is registered in a roaming (visited) network, the registration must be approved by the home network; hence there is a signaling transaction between the two networks which can be monitored. Other transactions related to call control, SMS, data roaming and charging can be monitored. The current systems are mainly based on SS7 mobility probes, monitoring the SS7 TCAP, MAP, CAMEL or ISUP messages, via the international links, or monitoring the data traffic based on GPRS, SIP, Diameter and other IP-based protocols (but not limited to these). The systems may also collect and process the call data records (CDRs) created for roaming actions, either on-line or off-line, mainly for billing purposes. The systems may have databases for aggregating the information regarding roaming subscribers. The home network is the network owning the subscribers, even while they are roaming in a foreign network; hence it has the capabilities and authorization to aggregate the data, under the privacy regulations.
It is common for users when travelling to keep their mobile telephones with them but to modify their usage so as not to incur high charges. The problem for the cellular network operator is to discourage modified usage and to encourage roaming usage to be as close as possible to home or domestic usage.